Waddlesworth

Today there was a new visitor in the yard.  Actually, it might not be a new visitor, but it was the first time we saw it. I am not sure if this was the first time it saw us.  Regardless, I was pretty excited when Marc came home and told me to come outside to see a critter.  

Just look at that cute little face!

I've decided that its name is Waddlesworth.  I don't know if it is a male or a female, but I do know that this little groundhog is perfectly adorable.

I was able to get remarkably close to it, which surprised me.  

Seems that Waddlesworth might be making a home underneath some pallets beside the house.  He or she has a very endearing roly-poly sort of walking pattern, akin to a furry hippopotamus.

Waddlesworth is a big fan of dandelion leaves.  Here you can see one disappearing...munch munch...

I know some people don't like groundhogs because they can be hard on gardens.  So far, I haven't seen any damage.  I think that living next to the woods means that this little friend has lots of food choices.

Here's hoping Waddlesworth finds that he or she can find enough food without needing to raid my raised beds, and I'll be happy to share my yard.

Spring Birds

 I'm pleased with the large numbers of birds that I'm seeing at the feeders this spring.  Some years things are very slow, but there are lots of visitors this year and it's lovely to see them all.

American goldfinches are in abundance this spring, higher than the past couple of years I'd say.  I've been routinely seeing 6 to 10 at a time visiting the feeder.  Here you can see several at the ports on the tube feeder and some on the tray platform.  There's also a female purple finch on the tray feeder. The white fuzzy blobs in the foreground are the anti-bird-collision dots on my windows.  

The goldfinches are even hanging about on the ground under the feeder!  That's not the usual spot for them, so it's a bit surprising to see so many on the ground.

I'm seeing a lot of the hairy woodpecker, who is enjoying the suet on offer.

There are a lot of purple finches around, accompanied by their more subtlely dressed mates.  This female purple finch looks a bit worried.

Maybe she's thinking that her mate is at the wrong feeder!  Yes, the purple finches keep coming to sit on the hummingbird feeder on the window.  Their beaks don't fit in the openings for the nectar, so I have no idea why they are visiting it.

I have far more white-throated sparrows than usual, almost always ground feeding.

Of course, the usual year-round birds are still here too, like the chickadees, even on wind-blown days.

The ever-present red-breasted nuthatches are always singing their fluted little songs.

I'm used to seeing the yellow-rumped warbler at the waterfowl park and even in the woods, but this is the first year they've been regularly visiting my suet feeder.  I'm delighted to have them!

The male and female downy woodpeckers are also frequent suet samplers.

Today, the "Merlin" app on my phone told me that I had an ovenbird in my woods, but try as I might, I could not find it to photograph.  However, I did have a moment of excitement with a new bird at the feeder today.  This is a female rose-breasted grosbeak.  I do occasionally have the evening grosbeaks, but have never had the rose-breasted before.  I hope she visits again and brings her mate!

I do love to watch the birds! (below, from left, American goldfinch, pine siskin, female purple finch, yellow-rumped warbler).